The New York Yankees' bullpen, an area general manager Brian Cashman acknowledged he sought to improve at the trade deadline, faltered Monday night, contributing to a crushing 13-7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Hours after the deadline passed without any additions to the relief corps, pitcher Angel Chivilli surrendered six runs in the eighth inning, undoing the Yankees' comeback and erasing Luis García Jr.'s go-ahead home run.
Chivilli entered the game with a runner on third and no outs in the top of the eighth, inheriting a precarious situation after Ryan Yarbrough allowed a leadoff triple. The right-hander, acquired from the Rockies in the offseason, then struggled significantly, allowing six consecutive batters to reach base. This sequence included a three-run home run by Nathan Church that put the Cardinals ahead for good, followed by a two-run shot from Jimmy Crooks and another home run from Alec Burleson, Chivilli's third of the inning.
This bullpen collapse came despite the Yankees having rallied from an early six-run deficit. Their comeback was sparked by solo home runs from Austin Wells and Trent Grisham in the fifth inning, narrowing the gap to 6-3. The Yankees then tied the game in the seventh inning, highlighted by a two-run blast from new first baseman Luis García Jr., his 24th of the season, off Cardinals reliever George Soriano.
The Yankees' struggles began early in the game. Starter Cam Schlittler had a difficult outing, lasting only three innings and allowing four runs while issuing five walks. Lefty Tim Hill took over in the fourth and gave up a two-run homer to Burleson, his second of the game, before the Yankees' offense began its comeback.
Cashman had expressed optimism before the deadline that the potential return of Carlos Rodón from elbow inflammation could shift a current starter into the bullpen. He also noted that Clarke Schmidt might join the relief unit after completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery. However, these potential future reinforcements were not available Monday and did not help the team on the field. Chivilli's implosion marked a stark departure from his recent performance, as he had not allowed an earned run in his previous 13 appearances.